Floor and component elements thereof



April 14, 1931 w. B. MILLER FLOOR AND COMPONENT ELEMENTS THEREOF FiledApril 4, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l h ll l L `Il, .l

17jVH April 14, 1931. w. B. MILLER FLOOR AND COMPONENT ELEMENTS THEREOFFiled April 4. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 14, 1931 WILLIAM n.MILLER, or Lexnwoon, OHIO FLOOR ND COMPONENT nLEMENTsTHEREoFApplcatonlled `April 4, 1925. Serial No. 20,662. g

My invention pertains to a flooring andthe art of laying it. Moreparticularly, my ideas comprehend improvements in the `laying of floorsof buildings of steel construction in association with induratedmaterial. An incidental feature is the design of individual floorelements to be gravitationally supported between joists.

That have come to be known as steel joists are steadily coming intofavor, because of less weight than solid concrete. A great many types ofsteel joists are on the market, but the use of all ot them has'involveddisadvantages, among which are:

l. The necessity of having wire mesh supported thereby in ordertoprovide a plastering surface to constitute a ceiling, and which notonly involves the labor of attaching the screen or mesh, but the addeddifliculty of laying the plaster, because of the yielding action oi'the` screen. A,Frequently repeated, often three plastering operationsare required.

2. The practice heretofore, when using fabricated steel joists, has leftthe spaces Vbetween joists unoccupied, which acts as a sort of sound boxand an increase in noise, frequently to a disturbing and unpleasantdegree. Also, when the space between joists is left vacant thefabricated steel j oists are nec essarily lei't exposed to moisture andhence become subject to deterioration or dangeraccomplished by rusting.Rusting inevitably occurs in such construction in the event of thecondensation or leaking of any water or steam pipe.

My invention proposes the use with steel joists for floor elements,preferably hollow tile, which are fashioned with flanges adapted to reston the joist and" which have depending portions adapted to be suspendedand to substantially ll the spaces between alined joists, therebyproviding both an underf1oor surface and a ceiling plastering surface.The tile eiementsmay be laid in many different ways, the preferred formexempliiiedby the drawings, showing alternate tile of any one rowsuspended across a pair of oists and other interjacent tile of the samerow suspended in turn from a pair of the joist suspended tile. The loweropposed edges of the tile oi adj oin- I and III.

ing rows maybe widened to extend laterally `partially underneath aparticular joist and thus provide a key-stone shaped channel for theprogressive sliding insertion of sollit tile to till in the spaceunderneath the joist and to complete the continuity ofthe plasteringSurfac Furthermore, my object has been to originate a ilooring schemewhich will, (a) require no shoring, provide a solid surfaceupon which tospread the ceiling plaster, (c) inthat this invention may be applied toroofs,

bridges, or any kind of deck or other form of room covering. y

Adverting to the drawings:

Fig. I is a top plan view of a flooring composed oil tile elementsembodying my invention and assembled on joists according to my allegedlynew method. y

Fig. II is a. sectionon line II-II of Fig. I, looking in the directionof the indicating arrows. i y

Fig. III is a perspective view of a flooring embodying the principles ofmypreferred form, in combination with a `specific type of joist, andcorresponding to Fig. I. y y

Fig. IVvisa perspective view of one of two differing y tile elements,incorporated in Figs. I and III. v .y

Fig. V is a perspective view ofthe other cooperating form of tileillustrated in Figs.

Fig. `VI is a perspective view of a comparatively small filler-block forfitting between the` other tiles above the joists.

` Fig. VII is a perspective view of a soifit `crease the speed oferection, (d) reduce the Acost of plaster-ing and (e) shorten the timelCU ' sembled asa flooring carried by metal yoists having a wider uppersurface.

Tile elements have beenenibedded between, concrete Joists so assubstantially to fill the spaces between the oists, but shoring was re-1 Vquired to hold them in `place during indura-r tion. I believe I haveoriginated the apparfently simple, but lhighly advantageous exi pedient,of providing tile elements adapted upper surface.V

to be gravitationally carried, as forfinstance, with flanges adaptedtores't directly upon the joistsso that the tile are suspended betweenthe joists and are ready to be used as a floor as rapidly as laid.

Fabricated steel joists (l), ,are alined, as shown in Fig. I, and willbe supported uponr beamsV not sho-wn. The steel joist (l), exemplifiedAin Figs. I, II, and. III, is what is known as t a rivet-grip and Vitwill be noticed that it has a comparatively narrow upper surface,indeed, so narrow that I consider that itis wise to use its entirewidth,` for supporting an individual tile, asexempliiied, over alonitudinal distance corresponding to the width of the tile which is toextendacross its However, that necessitates otherwise supportinginterjacent tiles, which latter must, moreover, be of different shape.Accordingly, the composite flooring, shown in Figs. I and III, uses thethree types of tile, shown in F igs.` IV, V'and VI. Y

7 The one form of tile shown in Fig. IV will be mainly proportionedaccording to the established distance betwe'enj the rows of joists and,as illustrated, is hollow ,and formed Ywith four upright4 walls or webs(2) the distance Vbetween the two outside surfaces of the `two webs.(2), which are 'farthest apart, being Y slightly less than'thedistance'betweenthe widestf portions of two joists. The tile shown inFig. IV includes a top surface (3)'` narrower thanvthe lengths of thewebs (2) though longer than the distance between theVV outer webs, bothof which it overhangs at portions (4), which I Yhave called flanges,

4because they are tol have the' function of'a supporting medium byextendingacross and each resting directly upon the jtopl of the joist(l). The bottom (5) of the tile shown in Fig. IV is flat Aandlcontinuousy and its size is determined by thelength of the webs (2) andtheir combined width. The tops of the tiles shown in Fig.'IV by reasonof being cut away. on opposite sides crosswise ofthe'di- Y rection ofparallelism of thefwebs 2) provides exposed upper web surfaces( 6)',toeach Vtions of the tiles.

quadruple row offour of which I have chosen to refer collectively as aledge. Each of the outer webs (2) is fashioned onwits outer side andnear the bottom v(5) with a channel V(7) extending from end to end, thepurpose of which; will hereinafter appear.

' The other style of tile shown in Fig. V is. Vto cooperate with thetilev shown in Fig. IV.

Itdcomprises a plurality of upright walls (8), the exemplificationdisclosing four,

which-support atop-(9) and a bottom (10) likewise integrally formedtherewith.V The distance between the two outer walls V(8) will i bedetermined sothat the tiles loosely fit be- 'tween""opp'osed 'lateraldefining*v planes Vof Vtwo parallel joists(l). VThe-top (9) islongerthan the walls (8) by reason of proJecting beyond them at both endstovformi what may VbeV called flanges, shoulders?oiylugs(11)` which arepurposedeach tolrest upon one` of theledges Near the bottom (l0), bothof the outer walls (8 are similarly fashioned each with a longitudinallyextending channel (12) extending'continuously from end to end andadaptedV to be opposed inspaced` tionedas shownfin Fig. III.l y

It will be observed that the flanges (4) rest acrossthe o ists and thatthe tiles lshown in Fig. IV are alternatelyY arranged between relation,eachto one of thegcrhannels, 7, posi` any particular 'pair ofr-.joistswith the tiles shown in Fig. V, which latter inturn are supported .bygravitationally resting upon. the ledges (6). In consequence, likevtiles appear in staggered relation in composite flooring built uponmorethantwo parallel joists. As shown. in Fig. III, the lower surfacesof thebottoms (5) and. ,(10) are positioned enough lower'than the lowersurfaces of the joists so that the opposed channels (7,) and (.12) areentirely below the lower surfaces of the joists. As'the two kindsoftile'are arranged in Fig. {.III, rectangular.holes .or

the filler-blocksf.(l4) g More often,it will probably be electedtogrout. `the upperfsurfaces yof my composite flooring with azurather thincement tobe brushed` into the interstices between the tiles iso as totie them together, or enough, concrete may be poured through the holesl-tocompletely embed the joists before.l insertion .of the blocks '14:lto .effect a seal .preferredv by some vfire insurancel underwriters.However,.forcertain types of buildings the upper surfacesof the tilesmight be given. more fin'- ished surfaces anda variatedpattern effectedbyV the use of dierent .colors ,withA their, three distinct kinds vof.tile-1 neatly` cementedtoygethezrinfany approved manner. It` should beunderstood that in the vrow of-ftile between the two joistsnearestfanyendwall of the building theflanges i p (3)f may be'ofsOmeWhat differentshape for atoneend ofthe tops (13) willbelleftbet'ween 'corner po'r-`Theseare .to be'filled with shown yin Fig. V I.

appropriate cooperation with a girder fireproof beam tile or othersupport at the end of the building.

Finally, softit tile (15) provided under opposite longitudinal ledgeswith flanges (16) are progressively slid into place under the joists (1)to complete the lire proof construction, the flanges (16) looselyfitting one in a channel (7) and the other in a channel (12) as clearlyappears in Fig. III.

It will be seen that my invention has incidentally provided a flat floorsurface which may or may notbe covered by a layer of concrete and also acontinuous plastering surface below the joists.

I am aware that tiles have heretofore been positioned between joists,but, so far as my knowledge extends, only in cooperation with concretejoists with which they were connected by an indurated material aftererection of an intricate and time consuming shoring structure. I believeI am the first to conceive of a self-sustaining iloor assembly for anin-duratable filler and covering purposed to unify theassembled'elements and to cause the initially supporting joists tobecome reinforcing members fullling the function of trusses with reducedmoment at the middle of their span the simple expedient ofgravitationally supporting the tile upon some part of the joists.

Fig. VIII illustrates a modified forni of tile including any desirednumber of walls (17) together with tops (18) and bottoms (19). t will beseen that the tops (18) project at opposite ends beyond the outer wall(17) to form equivalent flanges (20). The tops (18) have awidthcorresponding to the length of the walls (17) so that end surfacesof both are flush. Fig. IX illustrates em! ployment of the tile shown inFig. VIIIwith a different type of metal joist (21) similar to themarketed constructions known as the Berger and Truscon. rI`his type ofmetal joist is enough wider, as shown, to enable the tiles to beduplicated throughout and the flanges (20) to rest on substantiallyone-half the width of the top surfaces of the joists, therebyincidentally making unnecessary the provision of ledges over half of thetile to `furnish support for the other half as well as avoiding the needof corner lilling tiles. As shown in F ig. IX, the bottoms (19) of thetiles may be substantially level with the bot? toms of the joists toform in conjunction therewith a plastering surface. It should beunderstood that, if desired, the distance between the tops (18) andbottoms (19) may be increased so that if channels be provided as shownin preferred form, soiiit tiles may be similarly carried underneath thejoists (21).

I would have it understood that I do not mean to have my inventionlimited in its patented protection, either to the illustrated are il`method of resting tiles on the verytop surfaces of the joist, nor tothe illustrated use of soflit tile for enclosingk the bottoms of theijoists.` The tiles might be designed to rest floor elements might beinfinitely varied in shape and adapted for supporting on many differentportions of as many different styles of joists, involving alteredmethods of insertion for support upon the joists or upon cooperatingtile designed in conjunction `therewith to enclose the joists with orWithout a sealing withconcrete7 cement or plaster.

I claim: 1. The combination witha pair of spaced floor joists, of twoseries of dilferently shaped hollow tiles alternately arranged in asingle betweensaid `joists, oneseries all resting crosswise upon each ofsaid joists and relatively transverse edges of` the other series uponpairs of` tiles of the first series and yet so that the upper surfacesof both series ush.

2. The combination with a pair of floor joists of a composite flooringcomprising a row of differing floor elements alternately arranged andcarried all of one series solely by said joists and all ofthe otherseries suspended from those of theirst series, one series of elements ofone row being staggered with respect `to like elements of an adjoiningrow. A

3. The combination with a pair of floor `joists of a composite flooringcomprising a row of differently shaped hollow floor tile alternatelyarranged and together substantially filling the space between saidjoists, the tile of one series being ,provided with flanges restingsolely `upon said joists respectively and being also provided withledges, the tile of the other series being provided with flanges restingsolely upon. the ledges of the first series. Y i

4. The combination with parallelly eX- tending joists, of a plurality ofrows of complete floor tiles collectively adapted substantially toenclose all sides of said joists and to be held in position solely bygravity some by row and adapted substantially to lill the space restingupon both joists and others by rest- A beY supported thereby byinsertion from above, said tiles being of different-,shape andY providedwith differently located supporting flanges whereby to leave holes forthe entry of -grcuting material.

Afloor surface and fashioned along lateral upper-edges with flanges forresting upon theV .1.3 upper surfaces of alpair of definitely spacedjoists respectively, the entire remaining lower section of saidlelementbeing oflesswidth than theshortest distance between said j oistswhereby to permit -of suspending insertion i; between said j oists fromabove, said remaining lower section being fashioned -on Veachoftwoopposite sides with a ledge intended to support adjacent floor elements.,Y

, 7. In combination with apairofvralined floor j oists inspacedrelation, a plurality of tiles arranged as a spaced row and having at`their vtops laterally spacedflanges, one of whichflanges rests on eacho-f said j oists, said tiles Vbeing fashioned on opposite ends withledges VeIrtending crosswise of -said row and with-the upper surfaces`ofsaid ledges depressed a predetermined dist-ance relative -to theupper surface of said tiles and a plurality of other-tilesValternatively arranged in io said row and'jeach having at their topsendflangescorresponding in thickness to the eX- i tent, of depression ofsaid ledges and resting upon opposed end ledges of' a pair of said firstmentioned Vspaced tiles.

joists, of two series of differently shaped hollow tiles arranged oneseries in one row an'deach adapted Vsubstantially tolilll a measure ofspace crosswise of alpair of said oists and 40 all restingcrosswisefupon each of `said joists,

edgesof the otherseries of tiles resting upon A projections carried bythe tilesrof kthe first series and yetso'that the upper surfaces of bothserie-s are substantially -flush,jwhereby 4.51 collectively toconstitutea floor surface.

' 9. Acomposite flooring comprisingparallel j oistsan'd tiles providedalongtwo oppositely disposed edges Y with laterally projecting v flangesVresting on-said joists respectively and v the upper surfaces of whichVare flush, and

provided `along another pairof oppositely disposed sides with ledgestheupper surfaces of whicharebelow the upper surface of the Y tile togetherwith other unlike tiles forming i with said first mentioned tiles a rowextend- .ing lengthwise of said -joists,' said last men- :t-ioned tileseach fitting between saidl joists .and likewise provided 'with flangesresting solely upon the ledges" of the' first mentioned co tilesrespectively..

Vl0. nVY combination with a'p'air of alined ffloor jOists in kspa-cedrelation, aplurality of elements-each resting upon each of said j oistsin separated relationbetween said j oists, and

Y. (5,5 a pluralityofelements alternately-arranged 8. The combinationwith i spaced floor againstthe joists.

vrholding said 'tiles in position'.-

y with relation tothe first mentioned elements vand likewise betweensaid joists,z,sai d second j mentioned elements all carried solelybysaid first mentioned elements. n j

11. In combination with a pair of alined floor. j oists in spacedrelation, a plurality of elementsk arrangedas -a spaced row and eachresting on both-joists7 said elements beingy fashioned 'on oppositeendswith depressed ledges extending crosswise vof said row andra Vpluralityof elements alternately arranged 1n Vsaid row. and each' resting onlyupon opposed Vledges of 'a pair of saidlirst mentioned? elements.` A v12. The combinationl I-withthree Y alined. joists, of a pluralityoffioor elements vgravitationally carried between adjacent `p airs of jsaid'joists and with thebottoms ofsaid fioor elem'ents below the bottomof said joists,` said elements being fashioned with channels havingtheiropenings opposed to4 each other below anden opposite sidesof aparticular joijst together withj additional soflit elements pro,- videdwith fianges adapted for sliding insertion in said opposed vchannels andgravitationally resting therein. -V Y j i 13. In a fiooring,aplurality;V ,of parallel joists, tiles directly insertablefrom aboveandeach substantially enclosing separated; secand so asto extendsubstantially from the topV tothe bottom thereof 4and other differentlyshaped tiles carried alternately between said first mentioned tilesandsubstantially en closing fthe vremaining sections to opposed sides ofsaid joistswhile leaving opening-at n the top for the entry ofgrou'tingv materialV 14.' In a flooring, thecombination ofdi'eri' ingsupports, differing tiles carried some Vby one kind-.ofsaid supports andothers being carried bythesame kind of said supports and alsobythe tileswhich are supported solely by onekind of said supports, saidftiles beingalternately arranged in rows and .defin- Ving in conjunction with saidsupports `aseries of gapsfand means'occupying said kgaps for 15. A-self-supporting -fioor structure` Vadapted to spanthe distance'between'al-plu'- i rality of supports,comprising the combination; of' spacedsubstantially parallel s up- .Y port-s, a series ofelementsgravitationally Vcarried in predetermined regularly spacedrelation with respect to saidsupportsand leach other, each ofsaidelements including a surfaceadapted to-occupy a portionof adefining' planev -of the composite structure and "vlll also includingprojections having 'Y surfaces kdisposed at different elevation thansaid first mentioned surfaces of said elements, Vanother seriesl ofyelements gravitationally cai:- riedl by-isaid first mentionedelements;1and agio -v 12o I tween likewise each includn a surface adapted tooccupy a portion o a defining plane of the composite structure andgrouting material filled in the interstices provided between saiddiffering kinds of elements and adapted to constitute complementalportions of one of the defining planes of said composite structure.

16. A flooring comprising supports, difierent kinds of tiles carriedthereby, said tiles each having a pair of end flanges and the flanges ofone kind of tiles projecting transversely relative to the direction ofprojection of the flanges of the tiles of the other kind, tiles of onekind being staggered, and grouting material occupying the spaces definedby corner portions of four sides,of four tiles, two of each kind,whereby to complete the top floor surface.

17. In combination, primary parallelly spaced supports, elements eachdirectly hung from a pair of said supports and as a spaced rowtherebetween and a structure including pieces gravitationally carried byadjacent pairs of said elements so as to be alternately arranged in thesame row with said elements, said pieces furthermore extending crosswiseof said row substantially from one of said supports to the other.

18. A flooring comprising parallelly spaced joists and different kindsof tiles carried as a row therebetween and with theirtop surfaces flush,tiles of both kinds being staggered and with corner edge portions spacedapart over said supports to form holes there, and grouting materialoccupying said holes.

19. In combination, parallelly spaced substantially horizontal supports,elements gravitationally carried in spaced relation by said supports asrows depending therebetween and having upper sides adapted to constitutea part of an upper surface, and other gravitationally carried elementslikewise having upper sides adapted to constitute a part of an uppersurface and alternately arranged in the rows of said-first mentionedelements, said other elements being partly of different width than saidfirst mentioned elements measured crosswise of said rows whereby toprovide gaps over said supports and between distinct rows, and induratedgrouting material filling said gaps and adapted to bind together eachsupport with the elements composing the rows on opposite sides of saidsupport.

20. In a deck, parallelly extending joists, tiles provided on oppositesides with flanges and arranged as a row between said supports, themaximum distance between the sides of said tiles measured crosswise ofsaid row being less than the distance between uxtaposed sections of saidsupports and elements cooperating with said joists to support said tilesby projecting underthe flanges thereof.

21. In a room-covering, parallel extending thereof and the second kind`to enclose the.

bottoms of said joists.

i 22. In a floor, spaced joists, differing tiles, of which like tilesare laid indiagonally eX- tending rows, some of' the tiles of' one kindhaving ends lapped with reference to the near ends of adjacent tilesrespectively `and means binding together all of the tiles of eachparallelly extending row on both sides of any particular j oists formaintaining the tiles in such position, said j oists extending alongopposite sides of each row composed of diering alter-- nately arrangedtiles and supporting some of said tiles at opposite sides of the latterand grouting material between said tiles' andl joists. j

` In a flooring, difl'erent kinds of tiles collectively arranged inrelativelytransverse rows, like tiles being laid in diagonally eX-tending rows and each ,disposed in a pair of said relative-ly transverserows,the alternate tiles of all rows of tiles havingends projectingbeyond the correspondingly presented edges of adjacent tiles `and meansfor maintaining the tiles in such position.

24;. A flooring comprising joists and tiles' carried thereby in rowsbetween said joists and of varying top area and each top with alongitudinal dimension, tiles of one kind being in staggeredarrangement, tiles of different kinds having their longer topdimensionsrelatively transverse, the tiles ofone kind having their tops projectingcrosswise beyond the ends ofthe tops of the other kind of tiles toprovide gaps over said j oists and groutin'g material occupying thespace between opposed sides of thetiles and filling said gaps flush withsaid top areas.

25. A flooring comprising supports and different kinds of tiles carriedthereby and with substantially flush top areas, tiles' of one kind beingin staggered arrangement and each having one longer edge projectingbeyond a substantially parallel and shorter edge of another one`adjacent thereto in any one row between said supports and each havingtwo shorter edges-in turn juxtaposed to the longer edges of two of thedifferent tiles in two'adjacent parallelly extending rows respectively,whereby to leave gaps adjacent to said supports defined by side walls offour tiles and grouting material filling the gaps and substantiallyembedding said supports.

26. The combination with three alined joists, of a plurality of floorelements gra/V- ie'l Y tween said joists and elementsto unify the,l

'61 Y tesa-@5r tationally `suspended lby l. between adj a-v c'entfpairs'of said j'oists land Vwith chebottoms o'fsaid ioor elements below the`bottom l'of said j'o'ists, soit memberscarried' underneatli said joistsby said elements, groups of four of said elemen'tsliaving upperedgeportions of rtheir corners ideining gaps and l formi-ng in conjunction`with said 4joists spaces `open above through said-gaps and( groutingmaterial occupying all the space-bewhole structure.

27. The combination with tlireealined and,Y

spaced oists7 ofa plurality of different kinds of Hoor-elements, somebeing gravitationally suspended directly by the .tops of said Vjoists soas to cover portions thereof 'others offsaid elements beinggravitationally suspended from said joist-'suspended elements and all osaid elements depending between adjacent pair'syof said joist's, saidfloor elements liavings'ides spaced from, andbottoms below the bottomof, said joists, the near uppercorf ners olfg'roups of Vfoi'iroisaidelements Ybeing arranged 'to 'leave gaps over said joists, thel lowersides of said elements beingv fashioned with channels having theiropenings opposed to eachl otherlin'pairs on opposite sides of a lparticular ,jo'ist Y togetherfV with additional solit elements:enclosing the bottoms oft said joists and held in place by saidsuspended elements and indu'rated material filling the spaces laterallyadjacent each joistand above said 'so't elements and also illingfthegaps above whereby to unify all assembled parts.

28. -fgravitationally self-supporting floor `stru'cture' adaptedfor usein concretebuilding Iconstru'ction comprisingthe combination ofafp/airof fabricated metaljoists, dierent kinds :of 'flooring elementssuspended some directly from-said joists and others directly Y from said'joistsns`pended elementssaid ele-k ments collectively occupying mostVof the Vspace between said joists'and forthwith, fur-J nishing conjunc'tion solely'with 'saidj oists asupport 'for workmen and materialduring progress of their in'terfitteds'uspended a'i-- rangemena,oneVkind of said elements including substantially "iush-upper surfaces, and

indurated'material tlilling all interstices be#V tween the assembledunits and providing a substantially level io'ofr surface whereby" thelwhol'eisuniied an'djth'erj oists as the primary initial supportsultimately become the em-` bedded reinforcing fmemb'ers tofful'iill thelfunetion'oftrusses with reduced moment at' the finiddle of their span.

Signed 'by"me this 31st day*Y of iM-arieh; l WILLIAM zB. MELER. Y

